The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to medical devices and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to catheters, endoscopes, endoscopic tools, and intrabody probes.
Endoscopy is a minimally invasive diagnostic medical procedure that is used to assess the interior surfaces of an organ or of a body by inserting an insertion tube of an endoscope into a body lumen, or cavity, of a patient. A typical endoscope includes a rigid or flexible endoscopic insertion tube and an endoscope control unit, such as a handle, for allowing a user to hold and/or control the endoscopic insertion tube, to manipulate the endoscopic insertion tube in the body, to angulate the tip of the endoscope, and to control video functions such as image capture and image freeze frame. The endoscopic insertion tube is usually associated with an imaging sensor, designed to provide an image of the body lumen for visual inspection and photography. Frequently-used image capturing devices are: an ultrasound imager, fiber optics and video cameras.
Minimally invasive surgical procedures avoid open invasive surgery in favor of closed or local surgery with fewer traumas. These procedures typically involve remote-control manipulation of endoscopic tools with observation of the surgical field through an endoscope or similar device, and are carried out through the skin or through a body lumen or anatomical opening, or a combination of the above. Endoscopic tools are elements for treating and/or probing targeted anatomic sites in body lumens. There exist many kinds of endoscopic tools, each endoscopic tool having a specific function or a limited number of functions. Common examples of endoscopic tools are needles, used for injecting substances into targeted anatomic site tissues or obtaining a tissue sample, biopsy forceps, used to remove one or more tissue samples for analysis, and endoscopic graspers for grasping slippery tissue or foreign bodies. Endoscopic tools and medical imagers are also referred to as “tools”, “medical tools” or “endoscope tools” in the art.
In order for an ultrasound transducer to provide a clear image of a targeted anatomic site in a body lumen, the ultrasound device has to be in direct contact with the targeted anatomic site or a wave conductive medium has to be positioned between the ultrasound transducer and the targeted anatomic site. A known procedure for allowing ultrasound imaging involves filling the body lumen in which the sensor is inserted with an ultrasound conductive medium. Such a procedure, however, may cause discomfort to the patient whose lumen is being probed. Solutions have been proposed to allow ultrasonic imaging without filling the lumen with ultrasound conductive medium.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,695 by Grimm, an ultrasound probe cover is provided, which includes a conventional inflatable bag adapted to fit over an ultrasound probe. The inflatable bag is filled with an ultrasound conductive medium and then secured to the probe through an external securing element, before the probe is inserted into the body lumen. As the filling takes place before the insertion of the probe into the cover, a user must be careful not to spill the ultrasound conductive medium out of the cover while inserting the probe into the cover. Thus, the above cover may be difficult to use.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,663 by Oakley et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,853 by Law et al., a removable, rigid sheath is provided to fit over a laparoscopic probe. The removable sheath optionally includes a balloon tip that can be inflated with ultrasound conductive medium, and a lumen for injecting ultrasound conductive medium in the vicinity of an ultrasonic device linked to the probe inserted into the sheath.